1960 Holden FB Panel Van
American styling influences reached Australia with dramatic effect when General Motors-Holden introduced wraparound windscreens and pronounced tail fins across the FB range, including its commercial vehicle lineup.
The panel van variant marked the first time Holden offered a true enclosed, high-roof cargo body, providing substantially more interior volume than the sedan delivery-style and wagon-based configurations of earlier FC models.
Bold two-tone paint schemes (optional but popular) helped distinguish these vehicles from their more utilitarian predecessors, while the cabin featured improved seating and a redesigned instrument panel shared with other FB body styles.
Just over 8,300 FB panel vans were manufactured during the 16-month production run ending in May 1961, representing a small fraction of total FB output, which approached 175,000 units across all body styles.
Power came from the 138 cubic inch Grey Motor straight-six producing 75 horsepower at 4,200 rpm, driving through a three-speed column-shift manual transmission. This engine represented the final Holden powerplant using the three-inch bore specification, featuring higher compression than the earlier 132 cubic inch unit.
Most examples entered hard commercial service with tradespeople, farms, and government fleets, making surviving panel vans particularly scarce today.
Source
